Manila Staycation Part I: Planetarium

If you have been reading this blog for a while now, you probably already know that Franco and I aren’t fond of travelling. Actually, I still somewhat like going to places but Franco’s stubbornness has rub on me. Convincing my husband to drive to Makati on a weekend, a mere 20 minute travel time from our house, entails a lot of negotiation, begging, seduction, and fake crankiness. Plus fun fun fun under the sun is so not us. We hate sweating and do not get the fun part in getting our skins roasted. So for our family getaway this year, the beaches in Batangas and Quezon are out of the picture. For our first getaway 2 years ago, we went to UP Diliman, my alma mater. Last year, we were so lazy we did not even consider having a vacation. When I learned about BDO’s buy-one-get-one promo on their hotel partners, I did not think twice. I called Manila Hotel and booked a room for 2 days right away. Manila Hotel will always hold a special place in our hearts because that is where we had our wedding reception more than 5 years ago. And I also love that there are a lot of family-friendly attractions nearby.

Aki and I were at the hotel last Friday as early as 7:30AM. Franco had to work and caught up with us in the evening. Because I did not want to pay the early check-in fee, I left our bags at the lobby before heading to our first destination. Being the hotel semi-virgin that I am, I was pleasantly surprised when I was told that they will safekeep our bags for free.

So off to the Planetarium we went. Yup, this landmark still exists.

Since the entrance was only 80 bucks for the 2 of us, I did not expect much.
And I was right to do so. The Planetarium obviously had not been getting a lot of funding lately.😦

The highlight of our visit there was the solar system show. We were escorted to this dome-like room. When the lights were turned off and the projector was on , the dome transformed into a star-filled night sky. It was beautiful. I wish we can see those many stars at night.

This projector looks like something that came out straight from an episode of Shaider.

Even though the planetarium is an example of attractions developed in the 70’s which were not maintained, I still recommend visiting the place.

The exhibits were not as awesome as I hoped but were educational. And for only 30-50 pesos per person, the solar system show was worth the money. Just don’t forget to bring a fan and bottled water.

On our way back to Manila Hotel, I noticed a newly opened restaurant, 2Go Hub @ Kilometer Zero. When I inquired inside, we were given cucumber lemon juice. So yummy and refreshing. Happiness is when you get unexpected freebies. If you are looking for a venue, this place is worth considering. There is ample parking and is right beside Luneta.